First, they did it to Kevin Durant in 4 games, now they do it to Giannis Antetokounmpo in 7, Celtics have successfully defused two of the best players in the league
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The Boston Celtics have done it, they have defeated the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat.
The 7-game series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co didn’t come easy at all, despite Khris Middleton’s absence. But the best defense of the league finally got the better of the #3 offense by simply slowing down their best player.
The Greek posted some of the best numbers in a Playoffs series averaging 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists a game but still couldn’t get his team through the gritty Celtics team who just wouldn’t accept defeat, whomever they are facing.
They were able to stop both teams by targeting and disrupting their best players, and it worked like a charm. And as it turns out Kevin Durant who was heavily critiqued for his performance after the Nets’ 0-4 defeat wasn’t as bad as Giannis efficiency-wise.
Celtics held both Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo at low efficiencies, but who was worse?
With the odds of +4000 at the start of the season, the C’s have defeated the Nets (+250) who had the best odds, and now the Bucks (+800) who had the 3rd best odds. And they did it by consistently targeting the best player of the opposition.
While they were able to stop the ever so efficient Slim Reaper at 39% from the field, 33% from the 3-point line, and 90% from the free-throw line, they stopped Giannis at 46-25-68. That equates to a 52.6 true shooting percentage for KD to Giannis’ 51.6% TS.
But the difference in slander that the 2x NBA champ Durant received throughout the Nets-Celtics series was way more than Giannis’ who’s getting the benefit of Middleton’s absence from his side.
